Search Results
You searched for preschool
-
Toddler
Most experts agree: attending a good preschool program can have a lasting benefit for your child. A groundbreaking Carnegie Foundation study tracked a group of students for more than 20 years, from infancy to early adulthood, and found that the...
-
Toddler
Starting preschool is a big step—for kids and parents alike—and even adults may need reassuring. Checking in with your own feelings about your toddler being in a center’s care is important to set the stage for a smooth transition. It’s...
-
Toddler
Are snacks needed in preschool? Nay-sayers are concerned with extra calories, the quality of food offered, and the effect of frequent eating on how well children regulate their appetite. But is it really negative for preschools to have snacks for...
-
Toddler
It’s snack time at preschool. You know that a wonderful learning experience happens for your child at snack time. Your preschooler gets to pour his or her own drink, serve himself or herself food, and eat in a social environment, all of which...
-
Blog
Last week, we started our daughter in three-day, 3-year-old preschool. It wasn’t nearly as bad as we thought it would be. But, we practiced … a lot. Our daughter has been “going to preschool” for a long time. Never mind the fact she had previously...
-
Toddler
Doesn’t it feel like time moves faster during the morning? Getting your preschooler ready for school on time – while potentially juggling the needs of other family members – can be nerve racking. Many families find themselves...
-
Toddler
HighScope is an approach to education used in both public and private childcare centers, preschools, and kindergarten programs, as well as the national Head Start programs in the United States. HighScope refers to the independent organization...
-
Toddler
Universal pre-kindergarten, or pre-K, was founded in 1834 in France. It is a government-funded program meant to make preschool available to all families, regardless of family income, children’s abilities, or other factors. While the United States...
-
Blog
It’s mid-winter! Preschool enrollment time! For moms, choosing the right preschool can be as stressful as the Great Lululemon Yoga Pants Recall of 2013. Because my family has moved so often, I repeated the process in five different towns for three...
-
Toddler
If you have young children or you’re a soon-to-be parent, you may want to check into Head Start, a federally funded preschool program for low-income children and their families. Head Start promotes school readiness in children between 3-5 years...
-
Toddler
People are born with a natural attraction to music—and there’s a lot of good research showing that exposure to music education (not just listening) has many benefits for babies and toddlers alike. But that doesn’t mean it’s always easy...
-
Toddler
When researching schools for your preschooler or eavesdropping on parents at the playground, you will likely hear about Montessori. But what is the Montessori approach, exactly? The International Montessori Index describes Montessori as “a...
-
Toddler
Preschool-aged children often seem like natural musicians—exploring rhythm and noise as often as possible—and with good reason: music is hard-wired into their developing brains. Although people have always been instinctively attracted to music,...
-
Toddler
A new study on childhood obesity is causing waves in the media. The study, published in the January 30, 2014, edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, found that a child’s weight and eating habits at age 5 were strong predictors of a child’s...
-
Toddler
When you decide to homeschool your child, you must not only uphold your personal educational standards, but also those of the state in which you live. If you have a young child who has not yet gone to school, the age at which formal education...
-
Toddler
The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education originated in 1945 in Reggio Emilia, located in Romagna, Italy. It is a method of preschool that focuses on respecting children. Children taught in this method range from birth to age 6....
-
Blog
What is a parent to do when one child isn’t potty trained by 4 years old and is about to start preschool? Is there a way for a parent to handle a publicly flatulent grandmother who is showcasing bad manners to their young child? This...
-
Blog
I’ll admit it, they were right. All those people who slapped me on the back during those final weeks of my first pregnancy and said, “Sleep all you can now…you’re not going to sleep for a LOOOOOONG time!” They would chuckle, like they had a private...
-
Toddler
Yoga is one of the fastest-growing forms of exercise and stress reduction in the United States — for adults and increasingly for kids. According to the Harvard School of Medicine, 15 percent of adults have done yoga in the previous six months, and...
-
Toddler
Just as your baby’s body grows, their teeth will also continue to grow. While tooth growth and the replacement of baby teeth with permanent, adult teeth is usually seamless, sometimes problems do arise. One of the most common issues is impacted...
-
Toddler
Caffeine is one of the most commonly used psychoactive substances in the world. Every day, tens of millions of adults enjoy a cup or two of coffee, and everything from energy drinks to soda to bottled drinks have been fortified with caffeine. But...
-
Toddler
The first day of school can be met with a lot of anxiety and excitement. It represents a huge milestone in their development, but it also means leaving the known and secure for something unknown. Prepare Ahead Don’t wait for the first day to...
-
Toddler
Trick-or-treating is a treasured part of the Halloween experience for many families. Check out these tips for making it safe and fun for your younger children. What should a parent think about when choosing a costume for their child? The most...
-
Toddler
With news of mass shootings appearing in the media with tragic regularity, many parents wonder how they can help their young children understand and process these stories. It is important to remember that children look to their parents to make them...
-
Toddler
Several milestones in your child’s life seem to come naturally from sitting up to saying his or her first words. These natural progressions are a part of transitioning to toddlerhood. Other skills, such as making new friends—which requires advanced...
-
Toddler
Just like kids learn to read or can run at different paces, not every child has the same capacity to remember facts. This part of the memory is called the “working memory” and refers to the daily memory people use to complete tasks, pay attention,...
-
Toddler
Children understand and react to death very differently than adults. In many households, the topic of death is not brought up until the loss of someone close to the child occurs — this might be a pet, grandparent, or other relative. When discussing...
-
Toddler
Learning how to ride a bike is a major milestone for many children. But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half a million people are treated each year for bicycle accidents, and 59 percent of those are children...
-
Toddler
The time when toddlers are the most curious and uncoordinated—around 18-36 months—is also the period when they’re most likely to injure their baby teeth. Accidents can happen anywhere at any time, but most dental injuries in toddlers and...
-
Toddler
Did your daughter skip her ABCs and go straight to reading full sentences? Does your son play Chopin on the piano instead of “chopsticks?” Must be time to call Mensa. According to the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), about 6 percent...
-
Toddler
These teeth injuries can occur in a wobbly toddler after a hard fall, a sporty preschooler who gets knocked in the mouth by a ball, or a curious youngster who crunches on hard candy. Sleeping children who aggressively grind their teeth, and even...
-
Blog
This week, one mom is worried her daughter’s constant sickness is part of a larger immune issue. Is it cause for concern? See what our expert says. Dear Bundoo, My daughter (she’s 4) recently came down with a nasty cold that went around her...
-
Parenting
Toddlers are constantly experimenting with new ways to be understood—even if those methods aren’t always allowed. For many, this includes hitting and biting as a form of communication and a guaranteed way to grab your attention. There are several...
-
Health
As a parent, it is your right and responsibility to advocate for your child, whether in the classroom or on the playground. When it comes to your child’s food allergy, you have a unique opportunity to educate others in order to keep your child...
-
Toddler
Weight problems are a reality for many families — and not just the adults. One area of concern is the growing population of preschoolers who struggle with weight problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 15...
-
Parenting
Children can begin to show signs of bullying as early as preschool, and studies show these signs increase in prevalence as children mature from first grade into middle school. Research shows that bullying seems to peak during early adolescence,...
-
Toddler
Today’s preschooler is at risk for gaining too much weight. About 13.9 percent of children aged 2-5 years are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). How young children are fed, what they eat, and other lifestyle...
-
Toddler
-
Parenting
The American Academy of Pediatrics supports getting children back into the classroom and has outlined key plans that communities can use as they work toward that end. The COVID-19 Planning Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry are...
-
Toddler
Recognizing letters is the first step to reading and is the foundation for your child’s education. According to the U.S. Department of Education, kindergarteners who are already familiar with letter names typically find it easier to learn to read...
-
Health
Just hearing the words “head lice” is enough to prompt a collective groan from parents, usually followed by a quick inspection of their kid’s scalps looking for the annoying pests! What are lice? Lice are wingless, parasitic insects that live on...
-
Toddler
There’s no doubt that exposure to music and music education helps babies recognize sound patterns—the foundation of learning language—but some researchers believe the link between music and language goes much deeper than recognition. Between the...
-
Toddler
Preschool language disorders occur in children ages 3-5 years old who are having difficulty talking and understanding. Here are some of the characteristics of the various types of language disorders that can affect preschool children. Expressive...
-
Toddler
Potty training can test any parent’s patience. It can be hard to know when to start, and accidents are an inevitable part of the process — often at very inconvenient times! Sometimes potty training can seem to go on forever. Most children are...
-
Health
When babies are born, their motor skills are constantly developing. But before long you’ll notice that your baby consistently favors one hand over the other, making them a “righty” or “lefty.” But when will you know? That depends on your baby,...
-
Blog
My kids started cooking in the kitchen at a young age. We spent a lot of time in the kitchen, playing, eating and sometimes even having baths in the sink. On weekends, we cooked as a family, especially breakfast. It has always been important to me...
-
Blog
When you read the worst gifts grandparents could give their grandchildren, you were probably contemplating what kids should get instead. So it’s only fair to post our BEST gifts grandparents can give. If you want to avoid the doghouse your grown...
-
Blog
I grew up playing with Barbie. I remember Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers, but I played with Barbie. Dressing her up, putting her in the big pink convertible with Ken, and “driving to the beach.” I grew up in Indiana, so the beach was always my...
-
Blog
Did you know that too much screen time is bad for your kids? Sure. Did you know that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under age two avoid all screens — as in 100 percent? Did you know that your child’s electronic habits...
-
Blog
We have gone through a lot of Band-Aids in our house in the past seven years. In fact, for my son’s fourth birthday, his preschool teacher bought him three boxes of Band-Aids. She thought that might last him the rest of the month. It’s not that my...
-
Blog
I knew it was only a matter of time. It’s inevitable: like pink eye, or the stomach flu, or when you learn that your kid taught another kid a four-letter word. Yes, I am talking about the first time that you find out head lice is going around your...
-
Blog
What’s new this week? Tina Fey impersonates her toddler and dads are on the front lines of parenting. If only we could get the media and the Internet trolls to cut pregnant and breastfeeding moms some slack! 1. How I feel after putting the kids to...
-
Baby
You might be dreading it, but there will come a day when your baby’s pacifier has to go. In general, experts recommend weaning your child from a pacifier between his or her first and second birthdays. By that time, toddlers can learn to use...
-
Parenting
Babies at 10 months are full of personality and are learning how to use their voices and faces to impress and delight the people around them. They have likely gained good control of their arms and hands and can grasp and pull objects in order to...
-
Parenting
There’s no doubt the adults in your house are excited about the arrival of a newborn, but many new parents are surprised to learn their older children don’t necessarily share their sense of excitement. Depending on your existing children’s...
-
Parenting
Moms and dads are usually prepared to deal with masturbation during the teen years, so seeing your toddler touch his or her genitals can come as a shock to first-time parents. But the truth is that children as young as 18 months old masturbate, and...
-
Health
Almost all children have difficulty with their speech at some time or another, and as a parent you may worry that your child is not developing properly. Many of these so-called “disfluencies” are perfectly normal and not necessarily evidence of...
-
Toddler
Most babies start their food experience at mother’s breast or on a parent’s lap. After they can sit, they will soon find themselves in a highchair. From there, they graduate to a booster seat at the family meal table, and then by preschool, a real...
-
Baby
Babies at 10 months are full of personality and are learning how to use their voices and faces to impress and delight the people around them. They have likely gained good control of their arms and hands and can grasp and pull objects in order to...
-
Health
Sending a child to preschool with a life-threatening food allergy can be frightening and overwhelming for any parent. However, by creating a partnership with your child’s school, you can hopefully feel you are sending him or her into a safe...
-
Parenting
Teaching your preschooler to be a good friend and citizen isn’t always so easy. This never seems truer as it does when you are trying to teach your little one to share. First, it’s important to understand that possessiveness in toys is a...
-
Parenting
Parenting an introverted child can present a challenge for parents, especially if the parents are natural extroverts who find their child’s behavior difficult to manage. Children who are introverts are commonly described as shy, but, they just need...
-
Parenting
Security blankets (or teddy bears or any object) are a familiar feature of childhood. Known as “transitional objects,” these objects serve an important developmental purpose. Children rely on them to transition between the affection supplied by...
-
Toddler
Before parents were popping meals in the microwave and serving meals in the car or on the fly, family meals and family-style service went hand-in-hand with homemade meals and family dinnertime. While the benefits of family meals—including eating...
-
Toddler
Do you have a picky eater? A child who has a limited variety of food intake because he or she rejects unfamiliar foods? It’s not uncommon for children to go through a “picky phase,” but researchers aren’t clear about exactly how many children...
-
Baby
Parents on both sides of the “great diaper debate” often have strong feelings about their choice of diapering. A cloth diaper parent may discuss sustainability and environmental awareness. Meanwhile, a disposable diaper parent might mention the...
-
Parenting
While you may not always realize it, discipline for your child begins as early as infancy. Having your child follow a routine for sleep-wake cycle and feeding is a form of discipline that comforts your child and provides you with some sleep. But as...
-
Baby
Night terrors can be very frightening for both you and your child. Night terrors are not nightmares. They generally occur within a couple of hours after your child has fallen asleep. During an episode of night terrors, your child may bolt upright,...
-
Toddler
Almost every parent on the planet wants his or her child to eat more vegetables. But how, exactly, can you make this happen? Try these creative ways to increase the odds of your toddler digging into veggies without complaining! 1. Change how...
-
Toddler
Parents of young children with slow language development may wonder whether or not their children will catch up with peers and outgrow their difficulties. About 50-70 percent of late-talking children demonstrate normal language abilities by...
-
Health
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is a highly contagious respiratory illness. The illness is caused by a virus and is most common during the fall and winter months. Every year, thousands of children are affected by influenza, especially...
-
Toddler
When doing research on early education, you might find information on Waldorf schools in your area. There are currently 900 Waldorf schools in 83 countries, making Waldorf Education the fastest-growing independent educational movement in the world....
-
Toddler
Knowing how to properly use scissors is an important skill that many children learn by 3 or 4 years old. It takes patience and practice, but once the skill is achieved, your child will have a great feeling of independence and accomplishment....
-
Health
Many parents of children with asthma know all too well the battle that can happen when the nebulizer comes out. When faced with another frustrating nebulizer session, you might find yourself wondering, “What is this noisy machine the pediatrician...